Bheki Cele has confidently announced that SA police are ready for “whatever eventualities” may arise from the possible arrest of former president Jacob Zuma.
But to citizens, who witnessed violent protests, looting, and destruction of public and private property two years ago, and now see images of trucks burning on highways, Cele’s comments are frankly implausible.
The Constitutional Court last week dismissed Zuma’s application for leave to appeal a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling that he must return to prison to finish his 15-month sentence, saying an appeal had “no reasonable prospects of success”.
The police minister’s inability to address and control the 2021 July unrest continues to raise serious doubts about his ability to act if a similar crisis were to occur after the possible arrest of Zuma.
During the 2021 July unrest after Zuma’s arrest, Cele’s response was slow and indecisive.
As the violence unfolded, it became evident that the police were ill-prepared and ill-equipped to handle the situation. Reports of officers standing by as looters ran rampant were deeply concerning and highlighted a lack of leadership and command. The lack of a proactive strategy and swift response allowed the situation to escalate, resulting in widespread chaos and destruction.
South Africans needed a strong and decisive leader to restore calm and maintain law and order, but Cele fell short of these expectations.
Cele’s public statements during the crisis were often contradictory and lacked clarity. His communication with the public was ineffective, failing to provide reassurance and guidance during a time of heightened tension.
This was again demonstrated just last week when the country was thrown into fear and confusion as 21 trucks were set alight in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal without any clear motive as to who was responsible.
Cele had a briefing two days after the first incident, but his response was anything but reassuring.
South Africans needed a strong and decisive leader to restore calm and maintain law and order, but Cele fell short of these expectations.
And there is no guarantee that he won’t fall short again — should the need arise.
And then there is the question of whether the law will really be upheld.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the governing party does not want to see Zuma go back to jail but insisted no person was above the law.
But he also wants government to make concessions for Zuma by considering his age, and what is in the best interest of the country.
“The moral perspective to this is we empathise with [former] president Zuma. No-one wants anyone at the age of 80 going to jail, but in this instance the law is the law,” he said.
“Government needs to look at all those things, including what is in the best interest of the country and what is the correct interpretation of the law. The ANC does not make out of turn remarks about judgments. We focus on the law, and in this instance that’s what we are looking at,” he said at a media briefing.
But the instruction to his comrade and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola couldn’t be clearer.
Now Cele and government face a delicate balancing act between enforcing the law and maintaining peace and stability within the country — when they can barely keep all the balls in the air.
Not only will our citizens endure another incident of civil unrest, but it will be a death knell for our economy.
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